R0 90 for stripping paint?

[Jeff Zanin]

I am a long way from a professional painter but in my limited experience the prep and primer are very important steps in obtaining a good result, and my own best results have been obtained using Killz and similar alkyd primers, even over surfaces with tobacco and other stains.

I have been skeptical about the "primer and paint in one" products that are heavily advertised and so have never tried them.  No doubt they save some effort and disruption, and I suspect they may look OK at first.

But it is good to hear from a pro that these are not suitable for good quality or long lasting results.

Jeff

 

[Paul G]

Thanks Scott for the feedback on Behr, admitedly my experience with their products is much more on interiors which is on par with your impressions. As for exterior my Behr prime and paint job on stucco in sunny California is holding up going on 15 years, doubt that would be the case without doing all the necessary prep work. Can only imagine the stuff you've seen following people who are less diligent with the details.

 

[Scott B.]

Well here is the interesting part, guys.

Behr and KILZ are both brought to us by the same company, called Masterchem. Is it just me, or is it ironic to promote paint/primer in 1, and AT THE VERY SAME TIME, make what I consider to be one of the better interior primers in the business?

I mean, I understand distribution channels and all, but...

Just to show that I am not a total curmudgeon, here is what I have to say about KILZ MAX Primer.

[big grin]

 

[leakyroof]

3. Anything that you do in the cracks should happen after primer and a light sanding. Wood putty is actually not amongst the first choices of a painter because it is not flexible enough. If the cracks are hairline, wipe in a shot of DAP ALEX Plus (after primer and light sanding and prior to finish coat application).

This is just my opinion, as a professional painter.

My son's name is Alex as well, so he thinks it is named after him too. And, like our FOG Alex, my son also speaks with great authority on lots of topics.  [big grin]

Alright, I notice a small jab at my credibility so it seems I'll have to explain myself a bit further.

I was going off this picture below. I wouldn't call that a hairline crack. I can put my fingers in there. That's some major woodrot you have there and that requires reconstruction. If Americans do it differently, my apologies, but over here, you do not reconstruct with flexible materials. First you remove all rotten wood, then treat it with a solution to stop wood rot and then use a 2 part filler or put in a new piece of wood entirely. Of course, American methods may vary.

[attachimg=1]

I may not be a professional painter like Scott, but my understanding of flexible materials is that you use it to fill small cracks in places were you know wood will keep on moving. Like where wood meets a stone wall, or another piece of wood. I looked up Alex Dap Plus, and I see it's an acrylic caulking. Indeed, that's the flexible material you need for cracks. But not for major wood repair like in the picture above. You can't get a straight surface with acrylic calking. It will be all wibbly-wobbly. Somebody who would tackle the corner in the picture above with some caulking would be considered a very poor painter over here.

I know there are a myriad of products to treat wood with. Every one has a specific aplication and takes care of part of the problem. But for all of them, one thing is certain: they never last longer than a couple of years. Wood keeps on moving, sun keeps on shining and rain keeps on falling and they all want to -and will- destroy your work over time.  

- If the woodrot is over a large area, you cut it all away and put in a new piece of wood. Then over time, because the two pieces of wood expand at different rates, you'll see there's an insert. The edges wil crack and you'll have to repaint after a year or 3-5.

- If the woodrot is in a small area you fill it with a wood putty that becomes hard as a rock. You'll be able to sand it all flat and make it look like there was never a hole. Then over time, the edges will crack because of wood movement and you'll have to redo it again in 3-5 years.

- If you want to fill up cracks where two different parts or materials meet, you use a flexible material like acryclic caulking. Never for cracks bigger them 1 cm (about 3/8''). Never in the middle of a piece of wood because you will see a dimple. It looks ugly and dimples collect water that will cause problems. Then over time, the caulking will dry out, loose it's flexibility and the crack will appear again. So in 3-5 years, you can do it again.    

No measure short of ripping all trim out and renewing it will take care of woodrot forever.

Over here professional painters generally give a two year warranty on their outdoor work. Because they know that after that period, the elements will chew their work up. No matter which materials they used.

As stated above, American methods may be different. I'd like to hear how Scott repairs the corner above.

  My 'American' method  [wink]  for the wood in the picture would be to use a two part kit from Abatron if the wood isn't too far gone. Liquid Wood, [epoxy], injected into the 1/8" holes that I would drill around the wood and brushed on all surfaces. Then, with the epoxy still tacky, apply WoodEpox, which is the 'putty' like 2 part compound that you would push into and shape to the wood as needed. Sand once it's dry, prime, then paint.
For exterior wood like this, I've had great success with it so far.  No fumes to speak of really with the WoodEpox 'putty'.  [cool]